OFFICERS ELECTED

REPORTS

Treasurer: Virginia Anderson has been organizing and updating membership records in order to avoid confusion and non-canceled checks.
Current records indicate: 76 paid members + several non-paid participants.

Balance as of May 2011

2085.62

Savings

1336.10

Balance (minus forthcoming expenses):

4910.01

Expenses (incomplete as of May 29, 2011)

Virginia also reported:

She has been working on the Official “filing” of the Society with New York State. (Original legal document is missing at this point.)

Membership remains an issue to be addressed. Dues have been $20 (3 years, $50); students $10 (3 years, $25)

2011 Conference: David Blakesley

Dave will be submitting a formal report with expenses, etc. He indicated there were 106 registrations (half students).

He will be sending a call to participants for papers to be considered for a Conference book (South Carolina Press).

Special appreciation was expressed to Dave for a successful Triennial, including significant participation from young Burke scholars!

Journal: Ann George/Clarke Rountree

Clarke indicated that Andy King had expressed some interest in producing a summer edition of the KB Journal. If so, great!

Andy’s journal-successor has not yet been named.

Many signed a card of Missing and Best Wishes that Elvera sent to Andy.

DISCUSSION

Membership and Dues

How can we encourage and sustain membership?

What do members “get” for their money?

Should any online-areas be restricted to “members only?”

Would such restriction violate spirit of access and openness?

Could members receive significant discounts on books?

(Secretary’s note: Questions raised in 2002/2005/2008 remain: i.e., Should dues be raised? What are the benefits of membership? Which resources should be open to all? Should a portion of the online journal or other materials be for members only?)

Suggestions discussed:

A periodic newsletter to maintain connections between triennial conferences

Receiving such an email (e.g., twice-a-year) might include a short column from the Executive Committee and alert membership to new KB works being published; reviews of publications; national and regional conferences with a Burke-presence (Communication, English, Rhetorical Studies, Writing, etc.); and the like.

The Burke list resides with David at Clemson; he offered to provide a template for a periodic form of correspondence that might make this feasible.

Question: How will we follow up on these ideas?

2014 Triennial Conference Location

Advantages/disadvantages of several geographic locations were discussed.

The decision was to put out a formal request for possible hosts/sites.

Constitutional Changes: Ann George

Ann presented recommendations coming from the Executive Committee for several changes in the Constitution:

Article IX, Sections 2, 3 PASSES

Bylaw V (Duties of Officers), New Sections 3, 4, 5 PASSED

New Bylaw X (Awards)

(Passed for now—logistics of timing to be reviewed by executive committee)

Discussion took place regarding whether the editor of the KB Journal should be a full member of the Executive Committee. The decision was to have an Executive Committee composed of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and immediate Past President. The editor will serve as ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.

Treasurer’s Report

Virginia Anderson has been organizing and updating membership records in order to avoid confusion and non-canceled checks. Questions arose regarding:

Who pays/does not pay dues?

What difference do dues make in terms of participating in the Triennial?

What information (e.g., treasurer’s report) should be public?

What information should be for Executive Committee?

What data should be transferred to a central location to be kept by whom?

(David will be getting the financial information to Virginia and help clarify membership records.)

The Journal

Discussion focused on appointment of a new editor. David Blakesley reported that several were willing to be considered for the position: David Tietge (Monmouth), Paul Lynch (St. Louis), and Nathaniel Rivers (in transition from Georgetown to St. Louis). In view of experience and the current centralized housing of publication-related materials, it was decided to name David Blakesley “Editor of Publications” and ask Paul Lynch and Nathaniel Rivers to assume primary responsibility for the KB Journal as “managing editors.”

(We’ll need some email exchange regarding some of this once David has a response from Paul and Nathaniel)

identification of role(s) of “Editor of Publications” vis-à-vis journal and other website material, etc.

delineation of responsibilities of the “managing editors.”

role of journal personnel vis-à-vis Executive Committee (cf., Business meeting discussion of bylaws).

Additional Actions Taken

Ethan Sproat gave KBS his property interests (from his digitization work) to the DVD, KB: A Conversation with Kenneth Burke. The Treasurer will store the letter/legal document. (Where will we announce how to purchase these now?)

Dues: – KBS membership will be renewed at the same time every 3 years—namely,
during the Triennial Conference. Current members out of synch because their membership falls short of 2014, will be given a free membership to that date (including those who renew for "One Year" on the KB Journal website). Those who run over three years will be given a discount on the Conference in 2014.

New dues have been increased to $30/year for one year (which will no longer be an option as of 2013). Three-year dues will go to $75. Lifetime members will now pay $250.

Post-Executive Meeting: Student dues will remain at $10/year until 2013; three-year dues will be $75 at the 2014 Triennial Conference.

Triennial Conference

Clarke will send out a call for conference hosts and planners (two separate duties by two different people) later this summer. Ideally, we will have someone whose institution can support the conference.